Wills, Trusts & Estates

I work primarily in the area of estate planning and probate. I represent a broad range of estate planning clients including individuals, single parents, families with children, couples, the elderly, and the terminally ill. I also assist personal representatives/executors/administrators of estates of deceased in the probate process.

Wills, Trusts & Estates

• Nolo Document Review

Banking & Loans

• Credit Unions
• Savings & Thrifts

Insurance

• Annuities

Taxes

• Audit Defense
• Estate Taxes & Gift Taxes
• IRS Disputes
• IRS Filing & Compliance
• Negotiating IRS Payments & Settlements
• Power of Attorney
• Tax Planning

Estate Planning

• Charitable Giving
• Charitable Trusts
• Drafting Trusts
• Drafting Wills
• Estate Administration
• Estate Planning
• Living Trusts
• Living Wills
• Probate
• Asset Protection
• Guardianship
• Power of Attorney
• Business Succession Planning
• Special Needs Trust
• Supplemental Needs Trust
• Revocable Trust & Irrevocable Trust

NJ, Jan 1990
Bar Number: 025181989

PA, Dec 1989
Bar Number: 57541

Federal District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Delaware County Bar Association, Philadelphia Bar Association, and Delaware County Chamber of Commerce.

I attend continuing legal education courses focusing primarily on tax, estate planning and probate regularly exceeding the required number of hours. I also give talks on estate planning to groups and at client seminars.

Aside from several published articles outside the area of estate planning and probate, I provide guidance documents and newsletters to clients. Check my website for samples.

I recently worked with a client on a large probate matter. In addition to the standard taxes, debts and expenses, the deceased had a number of investments in various forms that had to be liquidated and distributed. The Personal Representative and I worked closely with the deceased's financial advisor to assist, thereby reducing the legal fees. The estimated inheritance tax was calculated and paid within three months of the date of death, saving the Estate significant tax dollars. The final Inheritance Tax Return was filed early, freeing up part of the Estate for early distribution. The personal representative lived out of state, so we did most of our work via email, telephone, and U.S. mail. The low flat fee paid by the estate for my services saved the estate thousands of dollars compared to fees charged by many Pennsylvania Probate Attorneys.

I also regularly prepare estate planning documents for clients. Typically these documents include a will, durable power of attorney, and living will. The sad cases, however, are the ones where the person fails to do the appropriate estate planning. Examples of such matters I have seen include a situation where the deceased failed to create a will with a trust for her minor child and now the child's money is unavailable for the child's benefit until the child turns 18. Another is a situation where a couple wanted to refinance their house at an exceptionally low interest rate, but the husband was out of the country for business and had not given his wife a power of attorney. Yet another example is a single mom who went into a coma and did not have a durable power of attorney or living will. Failure to complete the appropriate estate planning documents not only can cost you in legal fees, but in many cases result in irreparable and undesirable outcomes.

1

Pennsylvania and New Jersey

I established my private practice in 1997. I work primarily in the areas of estate planning and probate. I prepare estate plans for clients, including wills, durable powers of attorney and living wills with medical directives. I also assist personal representatives/executors/administrators of the estate of a deceased in the probate process.

I typically meet with clients at an office located at 1318 Meetinghouse Road, Boothwyn, PA 19061, right off of Interstate I-95, exit 1. This is NOT my mailing address. I occasionally meet with clients at other locations that may be more convenient for the client. I am also affiliated with Law Offices of Daniel I. Ward, in Voorhees, NJ.

After graduating from law school, I did a federal clerkship for the Honorable William Caldwell of the Middle District of Pennsylvania. I then worked for Ballard Spahr Andrews and Ingersoll, a large firm located in Center City Philadelphia. I left Ballard Spahr to work in-house with a client, Philadelphia Electric Company, later known as PECO Energy Company and Exelon. I worked in-house until 1997 when I started my own practice. Although I continued working as outside counsel for Exelon on a number of matters, it was at that time I began building my estate planning and probate. I worked for several months as temporary trust counsel for Commonwealth Trust Company and have done part-time estate planning and related work at a small New Jersey law firm.

Co-chair, Environmental Law Committee, Philadelphia Bar Association, 1998.
Member, Delaware Valley Environmental Inn of Court, 1997 to 2005.

(484) 494-5987

Monday through Friday
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

By appointment with flexible evenings and weekend hours where necessary.

Yes

Prospect Park, PA
852 11th Avenue
Prospect Park, PA 19076

Because I strongly believe that every person should have an estate plan, I offer low fixed fees starting at $200 per person and $300 per couple for the basic estate planning package, including a will, durable power of attorney, and living will. The individual documents start at $150 each. Prices are higher for more complex estate planning.

I also offer flat fees for most probate matters. These fixed fees start at the greater of $1,000 or 1% of the value of the gross estate. Fixed fees may not be appropriate, or additional fees may apply, where there are issues or disputes complicating the probate of the estate or where federal estate and gift taxes apply.

$150.

Prior to representing a client I will discuss the scope of the representation and any obvious issues over the phone. Given the nature of my practice, I do not provide free consultation meetings.

No.